Sports Minister Meets NEXIM Bank, As Consultations Begin On Bash Ali’s Fight

OKAFOR MOSES CHINEDU

Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports has begun consultations with some stakeholders as the Nigeria prepares to host the Guinness Book of World Record Boxing Championship between Nigeria’s Bashiru Lawrence Ali a.k.a Bash Ali (OON) and American Rick Camlin. 

The world title fight, which has received the backing of the Federal Government, will be held in Nigeria very soon.

Nansel Nimyel, Executive Assistant to the Honourable Minister of Youth and Sports told PM EXPRESS on Thursday that the Minister, Barrister Solomon Dalung’s meeting on Tuesday in his office in Abuja with some officials of NEXIM Bank, is part of consultation which the Ministry put in place to ensure and facilitate smooth organization of the Guinness Book of World Record Boxing Championship in Nigeria.

“The consultation is ongoing and as soon as we have something tangible to tell the world, we will inform the media. The meeting with the bank is a preliminary consultation and we did this because the boxer, Bash Ali, mentioned NEXIM Bank in several of his correspondences to the Minister and the Honourable Minister wants to hear from the bank officials so that things can be put in proper shape, ” Nimyel said.

Bash Ali himself to PM EXPRESS that he was informed about the meeting the Minister had with the officials of NEXIM Bank, but was told by the aide of the Minister that he would be officially briefed about the outcome on Friday.

“Yes, I heard of the meeting held on Tuesday, but I was told to come to the Ministry on Friday for them to give full briefing about what happened at the meeting. However, I was told that they have a fruitful discussions with the bank officials, ” the World Boxing Federation (WBF) cruiserweight champion informed PM EXPRESS Thursday’s afternoon.

Bash Ali, who is aiming to rewrite world boxing history and write his name and that of Nigeria in the Guinness Book of World Record, said he believes in the ability and capacity of the Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Dalung to ensure that the fight is held in Nigeria, adding that he is positive that whatever is needed to stage the historic event in Nigeria will be achieved very soon.

The world title fight, which is coming on the platforms of World Boxing Federation (WBF)  and International Boxing Union (IBU), has been in the pipeline for several years, suffering different kinds of hitches, despite approvals of two sitting Nigerian presidents, Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan.

The succour came for the Edo State born pugilist when President Muhammadu Buhari gave approval for the support of the Federal Government for staging of first-ever Guinness Book of World Record Boxing Championship in Africa, with the government promising enabling environment for the organization of the fight in the country.

“We’ll guarantee the fight. We’ll ensure that there is adequate security during the event. The Ministry will give Bash Ali a letter recommending the record setting fight for sponsorship consideration and we will be here to respond to any enquiry from who be sponsors, ” the Sports Minister told Bash Ali during a visit to his office last December.